Whining Rear End or Bearings

[bowman]

There is a noise coming from what sounds like a wheel bearing on my W124 300TE. I replaced the front wheel bearings today thinking that could be the only problem but the droning continues. It used to be louder so it could be a combination of factors.

Any idea where else this noise could be coming from?

Differential? Drive Shaft Bearing? Rear Wheel Bearings.

The noise corresponds with speed. The faster I go, the louder the noise is.

The reason I am on the UK forum is because the US forum tends to be more advice concerned with cosmetics (typical) and I am an ex-patriot living in North Carolina.

Thanks for Advice,

Bowman

 

[grober]

You tend to start to hear differential noise first on the overrun when you lift off the throttle. Several of my mercedes had grumbling diffs which continued to give good service for many miles provided they were fed with the right grade of oil. One thing to try is to renew/check the differential oil level is OK to see if that helps. If its one of the rear wheel bearings its bad news since they are not so easy to renew.
Here's how one guy replaced his diff
PeachPartsWiki: Differential Replacement

and a couple of ways[with pictures] to renew the rear wheel bearings.

Diskussionsforen vdh - www.mercedesclubs.de - Bebilderter Bericht zum Radlagerwechsel W 124 hinten (vorsicht, viele Bilder)

and

PeachPartsWiki: Rear Wheel Carrier Removal (Rear Wheel Bearing Change)

 

[yachtman]

There is a noise coming from what sounds like a wheel bearing on my W124 300TE. I replaced the front wheel bearings today thinking that could be the only problem but the droning continues. It used to be louder so it could be a combination of factors.

Any idea where else this noise could be coming from?

Differential? Drive Shaft Bearing? Rear Wheel Bearings.

The noise corresponds with speed. The faster I go, the louder the noise is.

The reason I am on the UK forum is because the US forum tends to be more advice concerned with cosmetics (typical) and I am an ex-patriot living in North Carolina.

Thanks for Advice,

Bowman

Any chance it could be tyre drone? (from the tread pattern)

 

[bowman]

Rear Wheel Bearing Replacement Cost

what is the approximate cost in terms of man hours to replace rear wheel bearings?

I am convinced that this is my problem and after reviewing a German Website about the procedure and the necessity of having special pullers, I want to take to an independent garage to do the job.

Replaced my own accumulators in the rear hydraulic suspension last week on my own, on my back, in the rain and need a break! Any ideas?

 

[Number_Cruncher]

I tend to agree with Graeme - usually, rear wheel bearing noise is constant, while diff noise can *usually* be "played" by lifting and pressing the throttle, particularly if it's the pinion bearings that have failed.

The best way to diagnose the problem is to get the car on a wheel free ramp, and run the car up to speed, and listen to the bearing housings with a mechanic's stethoscope - take great care if you actually do this yourself, there are exposed spinning shafts....

If the garage has the tools to do the bearings in-situ, then, it's about an hour and a half's to 2 hour's work to change a wheel bearing. If they remove the hub, then, that will take longer, and depending upon exactly what they disturb, you should have the wheel alignment checked afterwards.

 

[bowman]

Now that I have got an estimate of 4 hours (!) per side due to rust potential, it having been a Pennsylvania Car when it was new, I maybe wanted to have one side done at a time.

What I notice is that when I take a fast right turn the noise goes away completely which makes me think that it is the Left Rear Bearing that is bad since the weight of the car is going left and compressing the bearing when I am going around a right hand bend?

Is this correct or is my physics skewed? Any opinions? Of course, going roiund a left hand turn at speed has no effect on the noise.

 

[Smiley]

your logic is sound. It is not a particularly easy job - maybe you have an estimate of 4 hours because they have had trouble in the past with one of these. You may be better going to a MB specailist or even a MB dealer as they will be used to doing them. The bearing itself is not cheap - mine was about £90 inc a fitting kit IIRC.

 

[kth286]

Now that I have got an estimate of 4 hours (!) per side due to rust potential, it having been a Pennsylvania Car when it was new, I maybe wanted to have one side done at a time.

What I notice is that when I take a fast right turn the noise goes away completely which makes me think that it is the Left Rear Bearing that is bad since the weight of the car is going left and compressing the bearing when I am going around a right hand bend?

Is this correct or is my physics skewed? Any opinions? Of course, going roiund a left hand turn at speed has no effect on the noise.

Surely it is the other way around.

It is the RIGHT rear bearing that is faulty as you have taken the load off it and the noise stops. When it is loaded the noise comes back - yes?

That's if it is the rear bearings of course.

 

[bowman]

If I am turning right then the right rear bearing is loaded since the weight is on the right.

The noise goes away when turning right, therefore left rear bearing is at fault.

Correct?

 

[kth286]

If I am turning right then the right rear bearing is loaded since the weight is on the right.

The noise goes away when turning right, therefore left rear bearing is at fault.

Correct?

Not for me, because load shifts to side of car when taking a bend.

Taking a right bend will shift the load to the left side of the car (ie.remove it from the right side of the car), and you said the noise goes away.

You have now taken the load away from the right side of the car and the noise has gone away - therfore the problem is the right side - right ?

 

[Dieselman]

Right.

 

[bolide]

the noise from the rear wheel bearings depends on whether the fixed or rotating races are breaking up. It's possible to get a noise only when the rear of the car is unloaded, ie coming over long humps out of a dip

Estate rear wheel bearings can take a long time to do and end up costing a lot. I would only use someone who's done one before and who is confident in his abilities

If you have a local MB dealer who will do them on a menu price basis I'd get them to do it

Nick Froome

 

[Number_Cruncher]

I've been thinking about this job, and how I might approach it without the MB special tools, and without removing the hub from the car.

I think that with a hollow hydraulic cylinder (I have hired them from HSS in the past) it should be possible to pull the old bearing out and the new one in with the hub in-situ.

You would also need a decent threaded pull rod, and some reasonably strong drifts/washers and spacer tubes.

 

[Smiley]

your logic is sound. It is not a particularly easy job - maybe you have an estimate of 4 hours because they have had trouble in the past with one of these. You may be better going to a MB specailist or even a MB dealer as they will be used to doing them. The bearing itself is not cheap - mine was about £90 inc a fitting kit IIRC.

I think I got this wrong - I misread the post - it is the other way around - if the noise goes away when you are turning right then it is the offside rear bearing that has gone.

 

[kth286]

I think I got this wrong - I misread the post - it is the other way around - if the noise goes away when you are turning right then it is the offside rear bearing that has gone.

Actually it is HIS rear NEARSIDE bearing, because he is from the States.

 

[Smiley]

Actually it is HIS rear NEARSIDE bearing, because he is from the States.

Oh no. I resign.

 

[grober]

Think which way the car rolls downwards away from the horizonal during cornering---- that's the weight transfer. Its always away from the centre of the imaginary circle you are driving round.

 

[bowman]

Sorry, Nearside, Offside. How does this relate to a left hand drive car.

My nearside bearing is on the left?

 

[kth286]

Nearside is the side nearest to the side of the road you are driving along.

Offside is away from the side of the road ie. middle of the road.

 

[bowman]

It turned to be my right rear bearing, (passenger side in the US) had it replaced, it took 6 hours due to rust and no longer rumbles.